


Imaginary Friend

by PitchBlackWings



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: And have never been in an elevator that plays elevator music, And quite possibly PTSD idk yet, Angst, Bad neighborhoods, Elevators are demonspawn, Fluff, Fresh has anxiety, GOSH DARN IT BRAIN, Heavy Angst, Homelessness, Humans are jerks, I Still Cannot Tag it has been almost a Year, I TRY FLUFF AND IT ALL GOES OUT CONCENTRATED ANGST, I hate the deathboxes, Imaginary Friend, Lots of it, Nightmare Just Wants Him To Be Happy, Not for the faint of heart uwu, Poor Fresh, Sickness, THAT IS LIFE I GUESS, This is simply my personal opinion that will be expressed in this book, Violence, angst/no comfort, gosh darn it i try to write fluff and it all comes out as angst, probably depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:33:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23136220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PitchBlackWings/pseuds/PitchBlackWings
Summary: Fresh has had a bad life. He's been abandoned, and has nowhere to go or live. He's all alone.That is, until someone from his dreams unbelievably comes to life.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 38





	1. The Appearance

**Author's Note:**

> An idea that just wouldn't leave me alone recently...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THE ACTUAL CHAPTER THIS TIME
> 
> I'm sorry about the other one
> 
> IT'S APRIL FOOL'S DAY THOUGHHHH don't I get an allowance???

Fresh was hungry.

He was tired.

Neither of those things were new to him.

Hunger was a fact of life now. And sleep was a luxury he really couldn't afford to take.

He was huddled in a tight ball on the bench in the park, shivering slightly. It was only Fall, but it was already so cold... he wasn't sure how he was going to make it through the winter season...

He clutched his raggedy hooded jacket closer to himself, trying to preserve heat. It was chilly outside, and he had been kicked out from his hideout from underneath the bridge last night. The police had almost found him and they trashed all his stuff...

Fresh's head shot up when there was a rustling sound from across the park, eyelights shrinking dramatically as he scanned the area for the sound desperately.

"H-Hello...?"  
His voice shook with fear. If it was one of the local gangs again, they might not let him go quietly.  
Or worse, if it was one of the cops....

They'd take him away to the bad place....

Flashing images of grey walls, mean people, and needles filled Fresh's vision, and his tremors increased. No. No! He couldn't go back there!

He inhaled and exhaled rapidly, trying to fend off a panic attack, terror in his eyes as he rapidly scanned the park for signs of anyone else. It was late at night. Nobody should have been here...!

The rustling stopped, and after about five minutes of tense, fearful silence, Fresh sighed shakily and allowed himself to relax somewhat. It must have just been an animal.

Even still, he had stayed much too long in one place. Even though this abandoned park had given him more shelter than he was used to for ages, he would have to move in the morning, when it was warmer and safer. The gangs wouldn't be out in the day. The police were still a problem, though...

He clenched his coat closer and hunched down to preserve heat, closing his eyes to fall into a fitful sleep. Those were tomorrow's problems. He needed to get as much rest as possible tonight. Sleep deprivation, common as it was for him, made him too vulnerable. He didn't like it. Maybe he should've slept in the slide....

Unbeknownst to him, after about five minutes, as his chest began to rise and fall shakily, another figure emerged from the trees behind him, watching the sleeping figure carefully.

Stepping forwards, making no sound, the being slowly walked up to the bench Fresh was sleeping on, and sat next to him, sticking their hands into the pockets of a black jacket.

After a moment's thought, they unzipped the coat, draping it over the other's vulnerable, shivering body.

Fresh tensed up for a second before seemingly melting into the warmth the jacket gave off.

The shadowy figure sighed, rubbing Fresh's skull for a few minutes before standing up, taking one last look at the other's body before walking back into the woods without a trace, as though he had never been there.

Although the being walked on muddy, wet ground, they left no footprints.


	2. The Shadows are Moving...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fresh is 'moving house'. He wasn't safe in his old hideout, so it's the only option.
> 
> But he isn't completely alone...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kinda hate how this turned out but :/
> 
> WRITERS BLOCK SUCKSSSSSSSS
> 
> also please pay attention to the tags thank you very much!!! they are all there for a reasonnnnn i dont want to set anyone offff PTSD and the like are no joke!

Fresh clutched his coat close to his body, shivering back into consciousness.

He frowned. The coat was a lot warmer than he remembered... and it felt different....

He opened his eyes, blearily adjusting his glasses. It was still pretty early- the sun was only barely rising in the sky, but there was just enough light to see by.

He lifted the coat from his shoulders, squinting at it.

It looked like his old coat, but.... different.

His old coat was underneath it, faded colors and strings flying off the fabric. The strange coat was completely black, and in excellent condition, too. It was puffy and warm- perfect for the winter.

Fresh whirled around, looking for anyone who might still be at the park.

Nobody was there.

He frowned, looking at the ground.

No footprints.

No sign of anyone having visited him during the night, and yet....

He hefted the coat up, slipping it onto his shoulders. Someone had given this to him. Without making any noise to wake him up, or leaving any trace of them being there.

He shivered quietly.

They probably didn't mean him any harm, or he'd be beaten up again, but still... if someone was able to sneak up on him like that, it was _way_ past time to move hideouts.

Fresh turned to stare at the sleeve of the jacket, curling it in slightly.

"Nightmare...." He whispered the word that was stitched into the sleeve. Was that the name of his mystery donor?

Another shiver ran down his spine, but not from the cold. He quickly stood up, stretching his legs and walking away. He had to find some food and a new place to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After an hour or two of jogging and walking, Fresh decided he had put enough distance between the park and himself, and consequently, the 'ghost' that had managed to sneak up on him to give him the jacket.

He frowned. They might be able to tell who he was if he kept wearing the jacket...  
Should he take it off and leave it behind?

The wind took that chance to blow threateningly, whooshing by with a chilling cold that would have blown right through Fresh's old jacket.

...Yeah, no, forget it. He clutched his new article of clothing closer to him, shuddering slightly. If they recognized him, they recognized him. Hopefully he was far enough away by now that that wouldn't be a problem, but it wouldn't hurt to be more cautious than usual.

He was in the outskirts of the city by now.

Good thing: the police didn't bother to come here, and nobody'd blink an eye at just another wandering Monster.

Bad thing: the local mobs or mafia (he forgot who's turf this was) quite possibly _would_ take offense at his being here, or even his general existence.

Even worse thing: the people from the bad place might be here.

So he just had to be careful.

Fresh ducked into an alleyway, looking for somewhere to hole up for a time. It needed to have potential shelter, and be out of the way. It couldn't draw a lot of attention.

He didn't see anything other than trash littered all around the streets and blown against the walls. There were no people, but there really wasn't anything else, either.

He shivered. This was kind of creepy...  
Fresh sped up, trotting out of the alleyway and keeping his head down.

After a while, the buildings started getting more and more worn down, and Fresh spotted an abandoned parking garage.

He cautiously aproached the structure, tryying to see if it was already occupied.  
There were no obvious signs that someone else had already claimed it....

Fresh crept inside, clutching his jacket close to him, trying to gain a sense of security from the unusual fabric.

It was filled with dust, and most of the lights had long since blown out, but it was empty. No bags, no trash blown in recently, no gang signs on the walls. It should be safe. For a while, anyway.

But Fresh still didn't feel comfortable sleeping out in the open like this, so exposed...  
He looked around for a place to hide, somewhere to sleep somewhat safely.

The elevator only looked like it went UP, right? It should be safe for a good night's sleep, and he wasn't going to be pressing the buttons or anything...

He walked into the cramped space, crouching down to test the floor. there was no give, which was good.  
Fresh curled up on the floor of the elevator, relishing in his shelter from the winds and, quite possibly, the rain and sleet.  
He would worry about finding food tomorrow.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Fresh woke up with a jolt when he heard something.

It was still pitch black outside, and he could only see because of his 'special' eye.

Maybe.... it was just a cat...?

His heart leapt into his throat when the clanging kicked up again.

 _Not a cat, not a cat, not a cat…_ He pulled his legs close to his chest, making himself seem smaller. He listened frantically.

He could make out voices and footsteps now, a large group of people or monsters was coming closer.  
Fresh couldn't risk making a run for it now, or they could see him...

Maybe they would just pass by....

His Soul sank when he heard the voices coming closer, groaning drunkenly. _Humans._  
Maybe he should've made a run for it....

"'EY!!" A shout louder than all the others, and closer than he would've liked, had Fresh flinching.  
"Look 'ere!!" the voice slurred slightly, coming even closer, albeit very slowly. "Someone's done left footprints!!"

Fresh cringed, shivering with regret. The dust had left footprints.... these humans must've come here and seen them...

Before he could make up his mind to make a run for it, there was another chourous of voices, a yell, "THEY LEAD TO THE LIFT!", and it was too late.  
The humans walked around the parking garage, looking into the elevator, and Fresh scrambled to his feet, looking desperately for an opening.

"It's one of them monsters everyone talks about!" one of them exclaimed. "One of the vampires and stuff!"

"If we killed us a vampire, we'd be famousss," another slurred, obviously intoxicated. "E'rybody'd love us, right?"

_Kill me? No! Nonono!!_  
Tossing all caution to the wind, Fresh jumped out of the elevator, making a wild dash for freedom.

Three of the humans, the ones who were the least drunk, and plenty dangerous, jumped in his path, blocking the way.  
He dodged the first two, but the third grabbed him from the side and pulled him into a vicious bearhug. Fresh pulled and kicked and bit desperately, but a forty-pound skeleton was no match for a hundred and thirty pound human.

"What do we do with 'em?" The human restraining him asked. "Nasty beast's already bitten me twice, do they have muzzles for these animals?!"

"He liked the elevator so much, why not put it back and lock it in? It'll starve after a bit, right?"  
The big, drunken human offered a suggestion, and every human instantly agreed with slurred yells.

Fresh pulled and bit and thrashed frantically, but was promptly half thrown, half shoved into the small metal space that only moments ago, he had been sleeping peacefully in.

He jumped up and tried to run out, but was promptly pushed back in with MUCH more force than necessary.

"D-Don't do this, please!!" Fresh begged the humans to stop, to listen, to do anything, _anything-_

"Shut the doors!!"  
One of the humans began mashing a button on the side of the elevator, and about one second later, the doors closed with a terrifying screeching, scraping noise that ran down Fresh's spine in jagged shards of terror.

He pounded on the door for a good ten minutes, but he could barely make out words anymore, just a blur of noises from outside the cold metal box he was trapped inside.

After a bit, he simply sank to his knees, trying to hold in sobs.  
_Humans are scum, why did they do this, what did I do to deserve this, I don't want to die, I don't want to die...._

The reflective walls seemed to be closing in, and suddenly, the voices began to come in, clear as day… he had placed his skull against the cracks in the door....

"I have some gasoline in the back o' mah truck.... ya wanna make sure it gets dead, set it all up in fire'n stuff?"

He skid back desperately, hyperventilating, but no air seemed to be entering his lungs.

_they were going to set the elevator on fire._

_with him inside._

_I'm going to die here...._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DARNIT I DID IT AGAIN
> 
> THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FLUFF
> 
> AND I DESTROYED IT
> 
> theoies? ideas? praise or criticism? drop me a kudos or even a comment!! I love reading comments, it makes my day uwu
> 
> STAY SAFE PLEASE, WHEREVER YOU ARE! We're all in this together!

**Author's Note:**

> STAY SAFE YALL this coronavirus is CRAZY >~<
> 
> Comment or kudis if you liked? ^^ both are very much appreciated!! :3


End file.
